Protecting the table - how do you do it?

[Mommy_Mea]

We finally bought a "real" dining room table and while the kiddos are little we would like to try and protect it from spills, banging forks, etc.

We have a cheap vinyl tablecloth that we have been using, but I would like to have something a little nicer, since this is our one and only eating space, and is the "formal" dining room.

So what do you do to protect your dining room table?

I like vinyl because I can just wipe it off, with clotoh I would have to throw it in the wash fairly often. Do you have a pad? How d you secure it to the table (so the kids can't pull it off)?

Thanks!!

[waitingforgrace]

We had a piece of glass cut to fit the top. It's not attached to the table but it's heavy, no way kids could get it off. I prefer glass because I buy wood tables because they're beautiful, don't want to cover up what I paid all that money for :)

[LD92599]

I'm interested in this too - we have a new table being delivered from Ethan Allen next week. I was thinking table pads and table cloth, but PP you're right....why hide the gorgeous table?

I'm going to look into this..... thanks for posting!

[LBW]

Michaels sells clear vinyl by the yard. I usually cut it to fit the exact length and width, with no overhang. It looks good (you can see the wood) and it wipes up like a vinyl tablecloth. It's a bargain if you use one of the coupons.

[jenfromnj]

We were able to purchase a table pad from the manufacturer of our table, it's the exact size and color of the table itself and has built in fasteners so it stays in place but is easily removable. We hated to "hide" the table initially, but at this point, we felt it was a good idea to preserve it since we love the table and it was an investment.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I adore my table and would hate to cover it so no one could see the wood. So, we just use placemats at mealtimes and clear it off the rest of the time. I use cloth placemats and they do a fine job.

Beth

[Jo..]

We have two solid wood tables that are gorgeous...one in the dining room and one in the breakfast nook.

For the DR table we got a table pad from the furniture store. It is heavy and has seperate sections for the leaves. We love it. We pull it off for company so the wood shows.

Our breakfast nook table is a pain in my ass. It is 56" square, and IMPOSSIBLE to find a vinyl tablecloth for that size. So we bought a glass topper. The thing is always streaky no matter how much I clean it, and spills seep underneath. So we bought a fabric tablecloth TO GO OVER THE GLASS, which is in the wash 9 times out of 10. I will never again buy glass to top a table.

[SnuggleBuggles]

We have two solid wood tables that are gorgeous...one in the dining room and one in the breakfast nook.

For the DR table we got a table pad from the furniture store. It is heavy and has seperate sections for the leaves. We love it. We pull it off for company so the wood shows.

Our breakfast nook table is a pain in my ass. It is 56" square, and IMPOSSIBLE to find a vinyl tablecloth for that size. So we bought a glass topper. The thing is always streaky no matter how much I clean it, and spills seep underneath. So we bought a fabric tablecloth TO GO OVER THE GLASS, which is in the wash 9 times out of 10. I will never again buy glass to top a table.

re. square table. Mine is a 60" square and someone gave me the brilliant idea of buying shower curtains to fit it. They are square and they fit perfectly!! One side does have the little notches to hang it with but otherwise it looks just like a table cloth! In your case, you could even buy a vinyl shower curtain. :)

Beth

[mackmama]

I adore my table and would hate to cover it so no one could see the wood. So, we just use placemats at mealtimes and clear it off the rest of the time. I use cloth placemats and they do a fine job.

Beth

:yeahthat: I want to enjoy our table so don't want to cover it up. You could also get a piece of glass cut to fit like a PP mentioned.

[Jo..]

re. square table. Mine is a 60" square and someone gave me the brilliant idea of buying shower curtains to fit it. They are square and they fit perfectly!! One side does have the little notches to hang it with but otherwise it looks just like a table cloth! In your case, you could even buy a vinyl shower curtain. :)

Beth


Wow. I never thought a shower curtain would be big enough, and had no idea they were square. I am now watching for bargains, thank you! :D

[ciw]

Another option to glass is having clear fiberglass/plexiglass cut to fit. You can still see the wood and have a streamlined look (it's the thickness of glass) but you don't have to worry about the weight of glass or the danger to children. My parents used this when we were kids -- we had it on the desks in our bedrooms and it was also on a large table in the family room. They still have it on the table -- it looks fine and there are no scratches on the tables from kids. :wink2:

[Pear]

I have a table pad that is just really a thick vinyl tablecloth. I cut it to fit the top. Over that I have a tablecloth made from laminated cotton. It wipes remarkably well and every once in awhile I toss it in the washing machine.

[hellokitty]

I agree with Jo. Seriously, don't get glass to go on top of your table. It will ruin your table anyway, b/c when kids eat, things get wicked in btwn the glass and the table. Trust me, we ha a glass table and want on top of an iron frame and it was sooo nasty in btwn the iron and glass, b/c stuff would ALWAYS get in there. We JUST got rid of that table, used it for over 7 yrs with kids. I think that a glass table, WITHOUT anything under the edge would be good, but if you get one to go over a table, be prepared to be very aggravated with the amt of gunk that gets stuck in btwn the glass and the wood.

[Jo..]

I agree with Jo. Seriously, don't get glass to go on top of your table. It will ruin your table anyway, b/c when kids eat, things get wicked in btwn the glass and the table. Trust me, we ha a glass table and want on top of an iron frame and it was sooo nasty in btwn the iron and glass, b/c stuff would ALWAYS get in there. We JUST got rid of that table, used it for over 7 yrs with kids. I think that a glass table, WITHOUT anything under the edge would be good, but if you get one to go over a table, be prepared to be very aggravated with the amt of gunk that gets stuck in btwn the glass and the wood.


AMEN. I am SO not even a neat freak at all..I am kind of a slob, yet my glass top over wood disgusts me daily. Just say no. You cannot keep the table clean no matter how hard you try. That was a big and pricey mistake. If I could even figure out how to throw that huge piece of glass away, I would in a heartbeat. Goodbye $119.

ETA I just did a search and found my post from when I first bought the glass in March. At the time I congratulated myself for being so clever, but I went from love to hate in less than a week.

http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=393853&highlight=glass+topper

[Jo..]

Snugglebuggles! You get an A+ and a gold star.

I ordered a couple of really nice shower cutains from Kohls on clearance. They make PERFECT tablecloths for a large square table, and you would NEVER notice the holes unless you were looking for them.

Thank you. What a brilliant idea.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Snugglebuggles! You get an A+ and a gold star.

I ordered a couple of really nice shower cutains from Kohls on clearance. They make PERFECT tablecloths for a large square table, and you would NEVER notice the holes unless you were looking for them.

Thank you. What a brilliant idea.

Yay!! :applause: I wish I could remember who gave me that tip b/c it was just total genius. I'm always looking for sale shower curtains now. :)

Beth

[AustenFan]

cloth placemats

[fumofu]

We have a glass tabletop. So glad we chose that tabletop just weeks before DS was born. It's easy to wipe up his mess, and he makes a mess!

[LD92599]

We ordered table pads after considering that or glass. Didnt get them yet though!

[MelissaTC]

We were able to purchase a table pad from the manufacturer of our table, it's the exact size and color of the table itself and has built in fasteners so it stays in place but is easily removable. We hated to "hide" the table initially, but at this point, we felt it was a good idea to preserve it since we love the table and it was an investment.

Us too. We weren't going to because we loved the look of the table and I come from a long line of table cloth/plastic covering people. Then the elderly salesman told us the story of he and his wife as newlyweds. He ruined their table and she reminds him of it every single day. Whether the story is true or not is irrelevant as DH had the look of horror on his face because he knows that if he did, I would probably be the same way. We ordered the custom pads and have been very happy with them. I throw a table cloth over it and we can play games, cards, socialize, write, etc.. at the dining room table when needed. I don't worry about the table. Otherwise we only eat there every couple of months.